A pair of red zone turnovers and more costly penalties provided an unfortunate tale of business as usual as Cincy swept the 2024 ‘Battle of Ohio.’
In a season sullied by mistakes galore, it was business as usual for the Browns on Sunday.
Cleveland suffered a defeat against the Bengals, bringing their record to 3-12 for the season. The Bengals claimed victory at Paycor Stadium, securing a season sweep in the longstanding rivalry known as the “Battle of Ohio” for the first time in four years. Despite the Browns’ valiant effort, costly turnovers and penalties proved to be their downfall once again under the leadership of Kevin Stefanski. This loss solidified the Browns’ place at the bottom of the AFC North Division, marking their 15th time finishing in last place out of the past 22 seasons.
The matchup was more competitive than the final score suggested, but two turnovers in the red zone exemplified the missed opportunities that plagued Cleveland throughout the game. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, in his first starting game of the season, showcased both his passing and running abilities, accumulating 157 passing yards and 49 rushing yards. However, he also threw two interceptions that hindered the Browns’ chances of victory.
Cincinnati seized a commanding 17-0 lead by halftime, which proved to be insurmountable for the Browns. Joe Burrow led the Bengals’ offense with 252 passing yards and three touchdowns, connecting with Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas, and Ja’Marr Chase for scores. Chase stood out with 97 receiving yards on six catches, while Chase Brown contributed 91 rushing yards on 18 carries, solidifying the Bengals’ victory over the Browns.
The underdog Browns gave themselves some hope right out of the gate, when Jerome Ford raced 66 yards to the Cincinnati 11 on the first play from scrimmage. Five snaps later, D’Onta Foreman was ruled to have cross the plane into the end zone, but replay review showed he had fumbled before the goal line, with the ball being recovered by Vonn Bell.
The Bengals then marched 99 yards down the field, with the drive capped by Burrow’s 2-yard TD pass to Higgins that made it a 7-0 ballgame. Even with lots of football left to be played, it was undoubtedly a deflating moment for Cleveland.
Early in the fourth quarter, trailing 17-6 with a chance to make it a one-score affair, Thompson-Robinson appeared to do just that with an 11-yard run around right end, but the play was called back thanks to a holding call on Jordan Akins. A second flag on Jamari Thrash pushed the ball back to the Cincy 22, and though the Browns were able to get it back to the 8 on third down, Thompson-Robinson was pressured and his throw to David Njoku was picked off in the end zone by Jordan Battle.
A second INT came on the next offensive series, with Geno Stone getting the ball off a deflection from DJ Ivey. Cleveland season turnover differential of minus-18 ranks as the second-worst in the NFL.
“Today was not a good day. I know we had good moments, but good moments don’t win football games,” Thompson-Robinson said after the game. “We lost this game off of turnovers, and I’ve got to do a better job in that situation.”
Some of those “good moments” involved Ford, who finished with 193 all-purpose yards and the Browns’ only touchdown. Njoku added eight catches for 66 yards in his return from injury, and on defense, Cleveland sacked Burrow four times, including the 100th sack of Myles Garrett’s career. He is the youngest player in NFL history to reach the mark, as well as the first to do so while wearing a Browns uniform.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the errors, and Thompson-Robinson was also sacked five times himself (twice by Kris Jenkins Jr.). Adding insult to injury, Dustin Hopkins’ extra point after Ford’s TD sailed wide right, his 10th missed kick in his last nine games played.
Burrow’s garbage-time touchdown to Chase put the game more out of reach than it already was. The Bengals improve to 7-8, keeping their once-faint playoff hopes very much alive with a big showdown against the 9-6 Denver Broncos on tap for next weekend.
As for the Browns, they’ll return to Huntington Bank Field next Sunday for their home finale against the Miami Dolphins. The game was originally slated for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” before being flexed to 4:05 p.m. in the wake of lackluster seasons by both clubs.
